Mail-box.



W. BROBERG.

MAIL BOX. Y APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 190s.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

A Horn ey WILLIAM BROBERG, DF DAGGETT, MICHIGAN.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. s, ieee.

Application led September 12, 1908. Serial No. 452,728.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM Bnonnc, a citizen of the United States,residing at Daggett, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail boxes adapted for use in the ruraldistricts, and the object thereof is to provide a letter box embodying asignal apparatus movable' to an operae tive position when mail isinserted, to signal the presence of mail to the collector, and movableto an operative position when the mail is withdrawn by the collector,and embodying also simple and effective means to protect the mail fromdampness.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, wherein likenumerals are used to designate like parts throughout the severalfigures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mail box,illustrating the signaling apparatus in the operative position. Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken therethrough. Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical sectional view taken therethrough, and, Fig. 4 isa horizontal sec-f tional View through one corner of the box, andillustrating the coin introducing means.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I provide a letter boxcomprising a U-shaped mail section 1, forming the sides and top thereof,connected at its edges to a base plate 2, and provided with end plates3. The base plate 2 is provided with upstanding ribs 4, extendingtransversely thereof, within the box, and adapted to receive the mailthereon, to prevent contact thereof with said base plate 2, which mightbecome damp by reason of leakage of the joints of the sheet mail section1 and ends 3.

The section 1 is attached at one side of the box, to any suitablesupporting post A, and is provided upon its opposite side, and adjacentits lower edge with an enlarged opening, within which is hinged a mailremovingl door 5, provided with a lock G, and having a swinging mailinserting door 7 mounted therein, for the introduction of mail withinthe box. The material of the section 1, surrounding the locking hingeddoor 5, is provided with an outstanding flange 8, to prevent theentrance of water at the edges of said door. The box section 1 isfurther provided above its locking hinged door 5, with an elongatedopening 9, and with clips 10 secured upon the internal sur-v facethereof, adjacent the edges of said open ing, for the reception of atransparent section 11, which clips are adapted to receive and maintainagainst the inner surface of said transparent section, to showtherethrough, a placard bearing the name of the owner of the letter box.

A signal flag 12, has its staff 13 provided with an offset portion 14E,rotatively mounted through, and opening in the box section 1, adjacentits locking door 5, with the angular extremity 15 thereof, extendinginternally of the box whereby the 'said staff 13 may be rotated upon itsportion 14 to assume a substantially vertical or hori- Zontal positionwith relation to the box, the vertical position thereof being itsoperative or signaling position. The inner end 15, of the staff 13, isengaged between projecting pins 17 of an angular arm 16, forming part ofa bell crank lever 18, pivotally mounted upon the internalsurface of thebox, adjacent the locking door 5 and provided with a curved arm 19adapted for engagement beneath a projecting latch 20 carried by one endof said door 5. IVhen the staff 13 is raised to the position shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3, the lower end 15 thereof, in its swinging movement,causes rocking movement of the bell crank lever 18, and swings itscurved end 19 downwardly below the latch 20 as shown, whereby the staff13 is maintained in its upright or operative position to signal thepresence of mail to the collector. On the other hand, when the collectorunlocks and opens the door 5, to remove the mail from the box, latch 2Ois accordingly moved away from and releases arm 19, whereby the staff 13may swing downwardly upon its portion 14, to its horizontal orinoperative position, thereby indicating that the mail has beencollected.

In case the person depositing the mail within the box through the door 7may not have postage stamps to place upon letters, I provide the bodysection 1 of the box with an opening 21, extending therethrough,adjacent its lower front edge, and adjacent one end of the box. Upon thebase plate 2, immediately within the said opening 21, is mounted toswing an arm 22, provided with a coin cup 23, at its end, and capable ofmovement to project said coin cup 23 through said opening 21. Thus, acoin may be placed the box when the letters are placed therein.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that when the signal flag l2 and itsstaff 13 are moved to the vertical position by the person inserting theletters through the swinging door 7, it will be impossible for the saidflag to fall until the locking hinged door 5 is opened. It will also beseen that not only do the upstanding ribs Ll of the base 2, prevent theletters placed within the box from coming in contact with such base,which might be damp or even wet, but they enable the collector towithdraw the letters without removing his gloves in bad weather.

Having fully described my invention, l claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a letterbox provided with a vertically pivoted outwardly swinging door, of aflag staff provided with an oii'set portion near one end thereof,mounted to rotate upon said mail box, a bell crank lever pivotal'lymounted upon said mail box, a depending latch arranged upon saidoutwardly swinging door, one end of said bell Crank lever engaging aportion of said flag staff and the `other end arranged to be swung'within cup 23 and the same swung within l over said latch to assume apermanently locked position beneath the same, when said door is closed.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a letterbox provided with a vertically pivoted outwardly swinging door upon oneside thereof, of a flag staff provided with an offset portion near oneend thereof, said offset portion being rotatably mounted through saidside `provided with said door, a resilient bell crank lever pivoted uponthe inner surface of said side, a depending latch arranged .upon theinner side of said door, one end of said bell Crank loosely engaging thelower portion of said flag staff, the other end being arranged to beswung downwardly in contact with said depending latch and to springbeneath the same, whereby said bell crank lever may be permanentlylocked in a fixed position when said door is closed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ILLIAM BROBERG.

Witnesses OSCAR E. BURKLUND, CLAUS FRISK.

